Living Well with Nadine Artemis

Nadine Artemis is a gifted aromacologist, botanical formulator, and the alchemist behind Living Libations, a luxurious line of synthetic-free skin-care. Her line of beauty essentials offers a reconnection to the elements and the healing power of plants through daily ritual and self-care. Nadine inspires us to rethink the traditional concepts of health and beauty with her vital paradigm shift of "Renegade Beauty"

Today, Nadine shares a bit about sun gazing, holistic dental care, and what makes her feel most alive. Enjoy this radiant share!

How do you nourish yourself daily?

I nourish my soul by watching the sun rise over the lake every morning with my family, and that sets a special tone for the day where I feel centered, connected, and complete.

Do you favor routines or go with the flow?

I like to our family/work rhythm to flow with a system that I call, “organized spontaneity.” By putting in the intention, organization, and plans in place early, I can allow the flow and fun to happen with spontaneity and inspiration.

What are your favorite natural remedies?

Essential oils are my go-to remedies for health and harmony. I like to call essential oils “botanicalbiotics” because they protect our body, skin, and mouth much in the same way that they protect the plants they are distilled from against pathogens with their bacteriostatic nature. Antiquity appreciated medicinal plant virtues, and now we have gas chromatographs to map out how each essence is composed of hundreds of special substances that defy bacterial resistance, encourage immunity, act as first-aid responders, and boost beauty by delivering nutrients and stimulating cells.

When our inner and outer senses are drenched in the phenomena of the natural world, the natural elements are the sublime spirit food for our beings.

Your favorite beauty rituals?

I consider nature my finest beauty attendant and my favorite rituals involve immersing myself in it. I consider basking in the sunshine, lying on the earth, taking cool swims in our spring-fed lake (or hot soaks in the bath in the winter), and long walks in the woods my best beauty rituals.

Can you share a bit with us about sun gazing?

Practicing this ancient tradition meets many of the body’s and spirit’s sun-needs. A biological process activates when we have the sun in our eye; sunlight enters our eyes and stimulates our pineal gland, which produces melatonin, a hormone that promotes calmness, and serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes well-being. The pineal gland is also connected to the hypothalamus where sun-energy triggers vital chemical reactions in the body.

The practice of sungazing is easy; simply look at the sun as it rises or sets. It is safe to look at the sun within the hour of sunrise or sunset because ultraviolet levels are at zero. You will want to begin slowly to acclimatize your eyes to the sun. Start by looking at the sun for about twenty seconds, and then add twenty seconds to your sungazing practice every day. After three months, you will have built up to fifteen minutes a day and will likely feel the positive effects: less tension, fewer worries, a more balanced spirit, and better sleep. The effects bring an ineffable brightness to the internal spheres.

What makes you feel most alive?

I may sound like a broken record, but it is true: engaging with the elements of the cosmos makes me feel most alive. I come alive and rejoice in the warm sunshine. A walk in the woods with my camera stirs my creativity. Dancing in the summer rain with my family feeds my spirit. When I spend time outside, I flourish and feel well-nourished, and all is well.

Creating also makes me come to life. I love to sit at my table surrounded by precious oils and surging with inspiration and bring a new Libation into being. I also love the wordplay that comes with writing poetry. Writing poetry gets my juices flowing and sets alight a part of my brain and my soul.

Simple tips for holistic dental care?

The first and simplest tip for better oral care is to cease dietary and daily habits that are compromising to healthy oral ecology. Stop using synthetic dental-care products. Our gums and teeth are living tissue, and we want to approach cleaning them a little differently than we would scrub a countertop. If toothpaste is the magic cleaner for our teeth, then why are cavities at an all-time high, and why does toothpaste come with a big warning label that reads, “May Be Harmful if Swallowed”?

Also, stop putting microbe-mutators in your mouth. These microbe-mutators include excessive antibiotics, glyphosates, surfactants, and fluoride toothpaste. Instead, use botanicalbiotics, also known as essential oils, which act as bacteriostatic microbiome regenerators and biofilm disrupters. Neem, cardamom, tea tree, frankincense, rose otto, myrrh, and clove are just a few of the intelligent essences that tidy up bacterial activity rather than indiscriminately bombing all bacteria. These oils can be used in diluted forms to brush teeth, as a rinse with oil or water, and in tooth serums to massage into the gums. You can also upgrade your oral care by sliding these serums across dental floss before flossing.

Start using oral alkalinizers, such as baking soda, sea salt, and magnesium. They are soothing in mouth rinses and effective as toothpastes due to their alkalinizing action. They also switch on saliva’s smoothing and soothing abilities. Saliva contains chemicals and enzymes that exist solely to take care of the teeth. Healthy teeth exist in a sea of saliva, a sea of saline alkalinity. If saliva is too acidic, it dissolves the enamel on your teeth and creates an environment that supports bacteria. When decay arises, saliva jumps into action to coat the tooth with its beautiful healing fluid.

What are some of your favorite ways to unplug?

I love to get unplugged! Being present in the here and now and free of technology or the distractions of the busy world is the real deal for me. When I’m seeking to disengage, I play with my son, gaze out upon the land and lake, walk in the woods, or go for a nice long swim.

What strengthens your intuition?

Tuning into the reception of thought rather than thinking the thought strengthens my intuition. This weeds out intuitive inspiration from the monkey-mind of mental chatter.

Name three women who have inspired your work:

I am a poet at heart, and Lalla, a 14th century mystic poet in Kashmir, India, wrote sacred poetry that I adore. She writes about the Divine and nature in a way that inspires me. The poetry and prose of Maya Angelou is full of grace and wisdom that has guided my ethics and operations as a business owner. And, I can’t forget Emily Carr. The sensual nature of her forest paintings has inspired my perfume creations.

A life lesson you'd like to share?

A few years ago, our home and business headquarters burned to the ground in the middle of the night. My family escaped the fire, but we lost everything else. It was scary and deeply overwhelming to experience so much loss. Soulful and embodied living took on a brand new meaning and depth after that.

While beyond devastating, it was amazing to witness the strength of our Living Libations team and business. We learned that our team is resilient and that our business is agile and organized. We were amazed that we could rise out of the ashes so quickly and strongly.

Through all of this, I learned even more about trusting life, about the glory of gratitude and counting your blessings - and blessing life back. Appreciation is a true lifeline and rose-colored glasses are an essential accessory.

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